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Thanks to the baby boomers, who began turning 65 in 2011, the population of older Americans is expanding. By 2030, one in five Americans will be a senior citizen, nearly double the 12 percent in 2000, according to “The State of Aging and Health in America,” a 2013 special report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Not only are there more seniors, they’re also living longer. In the past century, life expectancy has increased by nearly 30 years. Men born in 1900 could expect to live until age 48, but by 2000, men's life expectancy had jumped to 74. In 1900, women could expect to live 51 years, but as of 2000, their life expectancy had also jumped to 74 years, and by 2050, the average woman may make it to age 86 (men can expect to live to age 80).

This massive shift in the country’s demographics will put new pressures and demands on the healthcare system — even Google knows it. The search engine giant has ventured into new territory with Calico, a company it launched in September 2013 to address the "challenge of aging and associated diseases." Doctors will have to rethink every aspect of care for the older population, even rethinking how we die. In addition to the big picture, the country will also have to figure out how to pay for this extra care and how to support an older population. “It’s a vulnerable segment with the largest care needs,” says Thomas Gill, MD, a geriatrician and director of the Yale Program on Aging. “This will be a very important issue to address from a policy standpoint. We’re probably going to need to be a little more creative with how we finance and provide care to that segment of the population.”

What the Affordable Care Act Means for Psoriasis

As the newest provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, become law, millions of Americans with chronic health conditions, including psoriasis, may have access to better health care.

If you have psoriasis and have been previously denied health insurance coverage, priced out of insurance, or made to pay a higher premium, you can now shop during open enrollment at the online insurance marketplace, sometimes called an exchange, at Healthcare.gov. You’ll be able to compare coverage and costs and perhaps purchase a plan that works for you. You can no longer be denied health insurance because of your pre-existing condition, though the amount of coverage any health care plan will provide for a chronic condition that involves ongoing, very expensive care is still unknown.

Before the exchanges went live, those with psoriasis benefited as did others from provisions of the ACA that had already become law. During 2013, Medicare recipients who hit the donut hole — the gap in prescription coverage at which point you must pay the entire cost of prescriptions — were entitled to a 50 percent discount on brand-name drugs and a 14 percent discount on generic prescription drugs. By 2020, the gap will be closed, making medication more affordable with fewer out-of-pocket expenses. Also, those with psoriasis who are under 26 have been able to remain on the insurance plans of their parents, and children haven’t had to wait for coverage.

Stem Cell Procedure Could Treat MS

A bone marrow stem cell treatment could one day halt and reverse the progression of multiple sclerosis, according to a review published last week in the journal The Lancet.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects up to 3 million people worldwide and can cause debilitating pain, fatigue, vision loss, and limb numbness. About 80 percent are ultimately disabled, and 50 percent will develop some sort of cognitive deficiency. The stem cell treatment, though only tested in mice, could offer a possible reprieve from these life-changing symptoms.

“We hope, and we think, from experimental work, these cells will help to suppress inflammation,” said Neil Scolding, PhD, MD, a neurologist at the University of Bristol Institute of Clinical Neurosciences and co-author of the review. “They will help to protect nerve cells.”

Restaurant Meals As Fattening and Salty As Ever

It may seem like chain restaurants are finally making improvements on the health front…but unfortunately, a new analysis shows the nutrition math doesn’t back up the marketing buzz. Researchers at UC Davis crunched the numbers and found that the average calorie counts for menu items didn’t budge between 2010 and 2011. Neither did sodium levels. The researchers evaluated more than 26,000 regular menu entrees at 213 major U.S. chain restaurants and found that average calories held steady at 670 calories over the course of the year, while sodium dropped insignificantly from 1,515 mg to 1500 mg (that’s a full day’s sodium allowance for most Americans).

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